Dogs that are not well leash trained or anxious, or are being walked by an unfamiliar person, are frequently difficult to control. Using a conventional collar and leash is not adequate as the dog may slip out of the collar and escape. A known solution to this problem is to use a slip collar, also known as a choke collar. The slip collar is a length of cord or chain with a loop at a first end and the second end passing through the loop. The second end of the collar is either attached to a lead or may be formed integral with the lead. When a dog pulls on the collar, the collar tightens, and the dog cannot slip out.
The above described condition of unruly or anxious dogs occurs more often in an animal shelter setting where the dogs are from unknown backgrounds and the people caring for the dogs must walk many different dogs every day. Dog shelter workers regularly use a slip collar or a slip lead. While use of the slip collar, i.e. choke collar, on a particularly difficult dog accomplishes the main objective of keeping the collar and lead on the dog, the dog may pull so hard to cause himself or herself choking, pain or injury.
An improved dog handling device that has become popular is the dog harness. A dog harness consists of several straps, one passing around the dog's neck and another passing around the dog's chest, the two straps being connected across the shoulders. The harness provides good control, does not afford the dog the chance of escaping, and does not hurt the dog because the force of pulling is largely applied to the chest area rather than the neck.
While the harness solves the basic problem of controlling a dog during walking, this solution is not practical for people who walk shelter dogs. Putting a harness on an unruly or anxious dog and taking it off at the end of the walk can be difficult and time consuming. If a harness is left on the dog for the time between walks, the dog may attempt to chew it off. Therefore, a dog handling device is needed to provide the security of a slip collar with the comfort of a harness and is quick and easy to put on and take off of the dog.